


Not this time

by cherrycokeisnice



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrycokeisnice/pseuds/cherrycokeisnice
Summary: Lila has had it up to here with Kell, and she plans to let him know about it.
Kudos: 1





	Not this time

"You know sometimes, I wish I had never met you Kell. I wish Holland had been the one to find me. Because Holland was a vicious bastard, make no mistake, but at least he was never boring. But you-" Lila laughs in a tone that fills Kell with dread-"Ever since we killed Osaron, you've been as boring as pig shit. In your letters, it was always the same thing. Oh, keep safe Lila, don't do anything stupid Lila, people care about you Lila." 

"Because people do care about you Lila. And you keep acting like they don't. And to be quite honest, it's selfish." Kell knew where this conversation was going, and he had no intention of letting it get there. Lila could be the most stubborn person he knew- more stubborn than Rhy, even, and once she had decided on a path, on a point of argument, it was almost impossible to dissuade her. You had to cut her down early, and you had to do it in a way she couldn't bullshit her way past. Because she would try that. Lila never knew when to leave something alone, when to admit defeat. It was one of the things Kell found most attractive about her, and it was also one of the most infuriating things. She didn't listen. 

"Oh, I'm selfish, am I? I'm selfish? Ever since I docked here, you haven't let me out of your sight once. And before you even try that, I know you followed me into that bar. Red hair stands out in dark corners, you stupid prick." Lila was starting to walk towards Kell, jabbing her finger, pointing at him. "You'd like it if I was just waiting in one of the palace rooms, ready for you whenever you get back, to make smartass remarks and tease you. That's what you want, isn't it? For me to be your little pet, someone there to amuse you, but someone you can just lock away when I get inconvenient? Huh?" 

Kell didn't want to give any ground, but with Lila advancing as fast as she was, if she was as aggressive as her tone suggested, she might want to fight. And Kell didn't want that. So he stepped backwards every time Lila stepped forward, until he was against the stonewall of the room Lila had pulled him into, looking down at Lila, looking into those dangerous, dark eyes of hers. Why couldn't she see his point? She knew he loved her, didn't she? 

"Lila, I'm just worried, that's all. I haven't seen you in ages, you've been sailing around the world for a year, and I just-" Kell's sentence was cut short by the sting of Lila's hand slapping his face, leaving a pink handprint. "Yeah, I have been sailing around the world, ya know why? Because it's what I want to do. Because I'm fucking good at it, because it makes me happy. I'm the captain of a ship-men with more guts, more grit, more fucking soul, have challenged my leadership, and they have failed. Better men than you!-" Lila jabbed her finger directly into Kell's chest now-"accept me as their leader, better men than you havew realised how fucking dangerous I can be. I am my own person, Kell, and my life does not revolve around you. Your life seems to revolve around me, but let me tell you know, it is not reciprocated.”

“I-Lila, please, I-I love you. Please don’t push me away like this. I know I haven’t given you much space, I just-”

“Much space? Fucking much space? I haven’t had any space at all! If it isn’t you following me, it’s Rhy’s personal guards, checking up on me at stupid hours of the night. I. Am. Fine. Okay?”

Lila shouted that last word, and felt guilt rush into her like water filling a bath. “Look, I-I love you too, Kell. I really do. I just- I’m okay. I don’t need an honour guard, alright? It’s kinda insulting. Not to mention annoying. Come on, let’s go get a drink.”

Lila held one of Kell’s hands in hers, and dragged him to the nearest tavern, where her crew were waiting, wanting to get a look at the one they knew only as “Lila’s loverboy.”


End file.
